Curran was a four-year member and senior captain of the varsity lacrosse team at Verona H.S. for coach Marc Brien. He earned 2009 second team All-Conference and 2006 honorable mention All-Conference honors. Curran tallied 143 career points with 43 (2006), 15 (2007), 25 (2008) and 60 (2009).

Fisher was a four-year member and senior captain of the varsity lacrosse team at Shady Side Academy for coach Richard Rattner. He earned 2009 All-American honors as he had a .680 career save percentage and a .720 percentage as a senior.

Garrahy was a four-year member and senior captain of the varsity lacrosse team at Bishop Hendricken H.S. for coach Kevin Murray. He earned second team All-State honors as a junior and senior and was named to the Providence Journal Honor Roll. As a junior Garrahy was named the team's Defensive Player of the Year and as a sophomore the team won the state championship.

Gillespie was a four-year member and senior captain of the varsity lacrosse team at Iona Prep. for coach Rick Trizano. He scored 200 career goals which are the second most ever at the school, while he also had 90 career assists for 290 points. As a junior he ranked sixth nationally with 75 goals. Gillespie was the named 2008 CHSAA Offensive Player of the Year, the 2009 Metropolitan Player of the Year and was a two-time All-American nominee. His team won the 2009 Class A state championship.

Hannan was a two-year member and senior captain of the varsity lacrosse team at Chaminade H.S. for coach Jack Moran. As a senior he tallied 29 goals, five assists, 34 points and 60 ground balls.

Kennedy was a four-year member and senior captain of the varsity lacrosse team at Summit H.S. for coach Jim Davidson. As a senior he earned All-American, state Attackman of the Year, Star Ledger Player of the Year, first team All-State, first team All-County, first team All-Conference and first team All-Division honors. As a senior his team won the state championship and was ranked No. 4 nationally by Lacrosse Magazine as her set the school record for most points during a single season with 115 (44 goals and 71 assists).

Pond was a two-year member of the varsity lacrosse team at Chaminade H.S. for coach Jack Moran and he was also a member of the Long Island Express club lacrosse team for coach Tom Palasek.

Schmader was a four-year member and senior captain of the varsity lacrosse team at Radnor H.S. for coach John Beiger. He earned 2009 All-League honors. Schmader also won the team's Most Improved Defensive Player award and was named to All-Main Line team.

Stillman was a four-year member and two-time captain of the varsity lacrosse team at Guilderland H.S. for coach Sean McConaghey. He earned first team All-Suburban Council three times, while he was also a three-time first team All-Times Union member. He was also named the team's 2009 Co-Player of the Year.

Ward was a two-year member of the varsity lacrosse team at Chaminade H.S. for coach Jack Moran. He was named 2009 All-League. Ward was also a member of the Long Island Express club lacrosse team for coach Bob Engelke.

Is it because HC has traditionally been. . .let's be kind . . . less than stellar in terms of wins and losses, so how does a bad team attract such an accomplished player?

Maybe Kenndy was one of those kids who didn't want to involve himself in the recruiting merry go round and wanted to go to the best academic school he could get into, while at the same time finding his way on the field the fastest. If this is the case, then it seems likely that he found what he was looking for at HC.

The real questions are (and not necessarily picking on Holy Cross- feel free to insert the name of a school with a losing record) . . . .can a stud player be content playing for a team that is not populated with similar quality players and does not have a winning tradition?. . . . can a stud player make enough of a difference early in his career to turn a moribund program around quickly? . . . .will a group of freshmen (including stud player) be given enough of an opportunity to get on the field early, noting that the so called "veteran" players there haven't exactly been able to move the team in a winning direction? . . . noted that HC's recruiting class has only 10 members, while other schools typically have 12ish, and that 3 of the 10 are from the same high school. Does that fact that Kennedy is from NJ mean that the coaching staff there might be broadening their recruiting horizons a bit? . . . .

All the lower tier D1 programs, Holy Cross included, are badly in need of turnaround. Hopefully this will happen, as it will make the game better. Don't like seeing D1 programs with zero, 1, 2, 3 wins season in and season out.

Laxfan69 wrote:I'm kind of surprised that HC was able to recruit a kid like Kennedy, that is a real good pickup for them.

Is it because HC has traditionally been. . .let's be kind . . . less than stellar in terms of wins and losses, so how does a bad team attract such an accomplished player?

Maybe Kenndy was one of those kids who didn't want to involve himself in the recruiting merry go round and wanted to go to the best academic school he could get into, while at the same time finding his way on the field the fastest. If this is the case, then it seems likely that he found what he was looking for at HC.

The real questions are (and not necessarily picking on Holy Cross- feel free to insert the name of a school with a losing record) . . . .?. . . . can a stud player make enough of a difference early in his career to turn a moribund program around quickly? . . . .will a group of freshmen (including stud player) be given enough of an opportunity to get on the field early, noting that the so called "veteran" players there haven't exactly been able to move the team in a winning direction? . . . noted that HC's recruiting class has only 10 members, while other schools typically have 12ish, and that 3 of the 10 are from the same high school. Does that fact that Kennedy is from NJ mean that the coaching staff there might be broadening their recruiting horizons a bit? . . . .

All the lower tier D1 programs, Holy Cross included, are badly in need of turnaround. Hopefully this will happen, as it will make the game better. Don't like seeing D1 programs with zero, 1, 2, 3 wins season in and season out.

Laxfan69 wrote:I'm kind of surprised that HC was able to recruit a kid like Kennedy, that is a real good pickup for them.

Go easy, I'm happy for the kid and the program. Great school, and the Jesuits are no joke. At the end of the day he gets a great education and plays some D1 lax

"can a stud player be content playing for a team that is not populated with similar quality players and does not have a winning tradition"

Absolutely, just surprised (with his grades, getting into HC isn't easy) no one made him an offer he couldn't refuse, like they do to most kids that HC loses in the recruiting game. Smart and good is a commodity.

BTW, those 3 kids are probably smart and good (Hannon, is very good)

Like a wise man one said laxidaysical:How successful in finding these kind of kids will (fill in a Patriot League School) be on the recruiting trail down the road? The kind of kids you are talking about are going to bigger name schools, and it's not a knock on (fill in a Patriot League School). Other Patriot League schools have the same issue

Holy Cross is very expensive. Great academic school. But since there is no Atletic scholarships, it is hard to get great recruits who just can not simply afford it.

Laxfan69 wrote:

laxidaysical wrote:Why are you surprised?

Is it because HC has traditionally been. . .let's be kind . . . less than stellar in terms of wins and losses, so how does a bad team attract such an accomplished player?

Maybe Kenndy was one of those kids who didn't want to involve himself in the recruiting merry go round and wanted to go to the best academic school he could get into, while at the same time finding his way on the field the fastest. If this is the case, then it seems likely that he found what he was looking for at HC.

The real questions are (and not necessarily picking on Holy Cross- feel free to insert the name of a school with a losing record) . . . .?. . . . can a stud player make enough of a difference early in his career to turn a moribund program around quickly? . . . .will a group of freshmen (including stud player) be given enough of an opportunity to get on the field early, noting that the so called "veteran" players there haven't exactly been able to move the team in a winning direction? . . . noted that HC's recruiting class has only 10 members, while other schools typically have 12ish, and that 3 of the 10 are from the same high school. Does that fact that Kennedy is from NJ mean that the coaching staff there might be broadening their recruiting horizons a bit? . . . .

All the lower tier D1 programs, Holy Cross included, are badly in need of turnaround. Hopefully this will happen, as it will make the game better. Don't like seeing D1 programs with zero, 1, 2, 3 wins season in and season out.

Laxfan69 wrote:I'm kind of surprised that HC was able to recruit a kid like Kennedy, that is a real good pickup for them.

Go easy, I'm happy for the kid and the program. Great school, and the Jesuits are no joke. At the end of the day he gets a great education and plays some D1 lax

"can a stud player be content playing for a team that is not populated with similar quality players and does not have a winning tradition"

Absolutely, just surprised (with his grades, getting into HC isn't easy) no one made him an offer he couldn't refuse, like they do to most kids that HC loses in the recruiting game. Smart and good is a commodity.

BTW, those 3 kids are probably smart and good (Hannon, is very good)

Like a wise man one said laxidaysical:How successful in finding these kind of kids will (fill in a Patriot League School) be on the recruiting trail down the road? The kind of kids you are talking about are going to bigger name schools, and it's not a knock on (fill in a Patriot League School). Other Patriot League schools have the same issue

I know this has been discussed to no end in the past, but I could not find a topic that had accurate information. So, it would be much appreciated if some KNOWLEDGEABLE person could please inform me which Patriot League schools have scholarships.

I know about Navy and Army's situation. I am curious about Holy Cross, Lafayette, Bucknell, Lehigh, and Colgate. Thanks.

unclax23 wrote:I know this has been discussed to no end in the past, but I could not find a topic that had accurate information. So, it would be much appreciated if some KNOWLEDGEABLE person could please inform me which Patriot League schools have scholarships.

I know about Navy and Army's situation. I am curious about Holy Cross, Lafayette, Bucknell, Lehigh, and Colgate. Thanks.

Colgate, maybe a couple (4?), everyone else 0.

Cheating may happen in big time FB, not so much in lax, regrdless of what people say. The best you can hope for is a "tip" in admission.

Lafayette and Colgate have old style Astroturf fields. Same thing HC used to get knocked for. Now their turn. At least Lafayette lets you in without the metal detector, passport review, ID check, retina scan, fingerprint test and team list check they use at Colgate.

Any word on how the Catamount classic went? HC played Albany, RMU, and Le Moyne. Recognizing fall ball scrimmages are notoriously imprecise predictors of anything, I am still curious as to how they looked and general impressions from the outing. Any freshman look like they can contribute?

If stupidity got us into this mess, then why can't it get us out? - Will Rogers

Answering my own post above re. Catamount Classic: HC beat Albany in first game 7-3 or 4. It was 3-3 at half. That is a good result against a very good opponent. I recognize fall ball scrimmages are close to meaningless, but I'd rather have a strong showing than a weak one. No word on 2nd game against RMU. Third game against against LeMoyne was an 8-4 loss. Silver lining here is it was HC's 3rd game in a row, while Lemoyne's 2nd of the day with a break in between (excuses, excuses). Nevertheless, LeMoyne is an excellent program with very good players, apparently they gave UMass and Albany all they could handle. A positive showing overall.

On Saturday 10/17 there was an alumni game on Mt. Saint James. Approximately 40 guys showed up (at 9:00 am!) for a spirited game. It was a good game and good fun. Alums from the '70s, '80s, '90s and '00s rallied to show.

Later in the day, the Crusaders faced McGill and won 13-0. That is a pretty good showing. As a benchmark McGill beat DIII Plattsburgh State 15-9 (on Thursday) and is 8-2 in their fall season (played in Canadian NC last year).

It was a good day for Crusader lacrosse.

If stupidity got us into this mess, then why can't it get us out? - Will Rogers

So what did the Crusaders learn about this year's squad from their fallball experience . . . recognizing that the game scores are indeed meaningless, and the games are more about your team than the opposition?

From what I observed, the issues that have prevented this team from making strides still remain. Three issues from the past do not seem to have been addressed with this new group- HC can seem to win more than they lose at the X, their offensive players had difficulty getting to the cage, (thus needing to settle for longer range, lower percentage shots), and the clearing game needs a ton of work.

At the Catamount, other participants seemed far more liberal in their substitutions than HC did. Albany played their subs the full second half; LeMoyne didn't dress 3-4 of their best players (watch for LeMoyne to make a bid to go D1 in the not too distant future); Other schools seemed to sprinkle in their reserves early and often. Meanwhile, HC stuck with their same rotation. Would have liked to have seen newer players mixed in with veterans (thereby avoiding players getting gassed by running 3 consecutive games . . . for those who actually care about the score, pin the loss on the coaches fro not subbing).

HC seems to have some weapons offensively. They don't seem to have lost much in goal, which is good because defensively, their players have good speed and quick feet, but in general lack the size required to keep the opponent from getting to the cage. Hopefully there will be some improvement this spring, as the other Patriot League schools, particularly Colgate, who looked very strong at the Catamount, seem to be a stage or two ahead of Holy Cross.

s

Penikese wrote:Answering my own post above re. Catamount Classic: HC beat Albany in first game 7-3 or 4. It was 3-3 at half. That is a good result against a very good opponent. I recognize fall ball scrimmages are close to meaningless, but I'd rather have a strong showing than a weak one. No word on 2nd game against RMU. Third game against against LeMoyne was an 8-4 loss. Silver lining here is it was HC's 3rd game in a row, while Lemoyne's 2nd of the day with a break in between (excuses, excuses). Nevertheless, LeMoyne is an excellent program with very good players, apparently they gave UMass and Albany all they could handle. A positive showing overall.

On Saturday 10/17 there was an alumni game on Mt. Saint James. Approximately 40 guys showed up (at 9:00 am!) for a spirited game. It was a good game and good fun. Alums from the '70s, '80s, '90s and '00s rallied to show.

Later in the day, the Crusaders faced McGill and won 13-0. That is a pretty good showing. As a benchmark McGill beat DIII Plattsburgh State 15-9 (on Thursday) and is 8-2 in their fall season (played in Canadian NC last year).

laxidaysical wrote:From what I observed, the issues that have prevented this team from making strides still remain. Three issues from the past do not seem to have been addressed with this new group- HC can seem to win more than they lose at the X, their offensive players had difficulty getting to the cage, (thus needing to settle for longer range, lower percentage shots), and the clearing game needs a ton of work. HC seems to have some weapons offensively. They don't seem to have lost much in goal, which is good because defensively, their players have good speed and quick feet, but in general lack the size required to keep the opponent from getting to the cage. Hopefully there will be some improvement this spring, as the other Patriot League schools, particularly Colgate, who looked very strong at the Catamount, seem to be a stage or two ahead of Holy Cross.

I would not disagree with your assessment.

Needs:Face Off - The Crusaders won only 30% of FO last year. That is awful. If you look at their 3 closest league losses they were 15 of 48. They are giving away possessions in winnable games, which they cannot afford to do with their offense. Against Dartmouth, they were 5/23 in a game that came down to the wire.

Offensive Production & Diversity -They scored only 6.5 goals per game, you're not going to win many games at that clip. To be fair they lost their best attackman early in the season and relied on some younger players (fr. and soph.). The upside for this year is that they return Parzanese, got some youth some PT and add some very productive freshmen (Kennedy & Gillespie). The attack looks deeper and potentially more talented than they have been in a long time. The midfield did not add too much to the scoring column last year, they need to contribute more this year. The good news is that they return pretty much everyone (except Marchand) and got a lot of young players some PT last year. They also add promising freshman Hannon (Chaminade's leading scorer) and Curran (who got good reviews in the Catamount Classic). They need to score more from up top (actually from everywhere). Even if they don't dramatically improve goal production, if they can control the ball (and clock) in the offensive zone it will give their D a break and keep the opposing offense to fewer goals. Perhaps they will be on the right side of those 7-5 games if the O can control the ball better.

Goalie - This causes me some concern. They lost a great, great goalie. I think had he been at Harvard or UMass, he would have been showered with accolades. How much of a drop off we get will be interesting to see.

I am less concerned about clearing than you. Although they could always stand to improve, it was not the glaring weakness that the other areas you mentioned were. At a 77.2% success rate LY, they were not that different from their league peers Lehigh (77%), Bucknell (80%) , and Army (80.9%).

I did not watch enough games last year to speak to your penetration and shot quality comment. Their SOG% though does not look that bad, which I would expect to be the case if they were taking shots from outside. They have one big attackman and the others are smaller so they may not be getting inside for quality shots as you suggest. I think they do have some speed returning and that can be very effective at attack also.

The D looks to be a strength, returning intact from last year. They were a good unit with a few breakdowns, but kept some good teams in check. They go 185, 200, and 215, I am not sure a defenseman needs to be too much bigger as long as he is strong enough. (Last year's Cornell team did not have a D-man over 200, and half were at 180). I prefer speed and quickness, which I believe they have. Fortunately we don't play Maryland.

I think that the overall talent level will take another small step up. The incoming recruit class was quite strong and they did not graduate a ton. They also played a lot of freshman and sophomores last year who should be more seasoned and above where they were last year. There is a lot more depth across the roster.

The Patriot league is a very good league with Navy and Colgate as serious threats to make the tourney. Bucknell also looks poised to make some noise. Army always fields a strong squad and had a rare down year LY. The teams that are in the bottom with HC are Lehigh, and Lafayette. All of these bottom teams are improving as well. Improvement will be measured in relative terms, not absolute terms as all of these teams look improved. Add in potential OOC foes St. Johns, Yale, Harvard, and Bryant who all are looking to improve from last year. HC could be a better team yet it could have the same or worse record.

If stupidity got us into this mess, then why can't it get us out? - Will Rogers

in midfield and attack this year. Middies get back and play some D could be the difference. Goalie had prolific HS career and will get his chance this year. Defense has to get it together and play as a unit. Clearing was nonexistent in Coach's first year, the ball was all over the field and parking lot, that has gotten progressively better each year upon his arrival. Coach has always gotten them to play hard since his arrival, now this year can he get them to play hard and smart - should be doable based upon the academics of the institution.

If all stay healthy, could be the year of the turnaround start. Players should be chomping at the bit to christen the new field with a successful inaugural season, especially the ones who have been there the past 3/4 years.

There is some depth here for the first time in a long time, can it be steered?

Given the explosive growth of the sport on the youth and high school level, one would think that "a high tide raises all boats". This has not been the case with Holy Cross, or for that matter the teams on the bottom quartile of DI lacrosse. I've become a follower of these moribund programs, hoping for the good of the sport that they will somehow find a way to raise the level of their game and become competitive. I'm tired of only hearing about the elite teams, and would like to see some other programs, particularly the Patriot schools, become more prominent.

I enjoyed all the stats proffered by penikese (who is very obviously an HC alum and former Crusader player), and even managed to locate the source for most. If you can provide the source for the clearing % figures you quoted, I would appreciate it. All in all HC's season stats are dismal, with the exception of the saves per game and man down defense. Based on the terrible face off, man up offense and ground balls per game percentages, last year's team just could not find a way to possess the ball and take advantage of opportunities when presented. In their 12 losses last year, the average margin of loss was 6 goals. In their 3 wins, it was 3 goals. Clearly something is dramatically wrong, and I fault the coaching staff for not finding a way to plug the holes. No clues to improvement were in evidence at the Catamount

I think Malone hit on a couple salient topics- get the midfielders to play some defense, and steer the team. You have to wonder, after 6 years of poor performance, seemingly by doing the same old thing the same old way, what is the coaching staff going to do to get better? First get better players- this was apparently accomplished with the "13 recruiting class. Next, let them play- didn't see much of thgis at the Catamount. Third, let them play against competition that is a click or two above your present level. Clearly, Navy, Colgate, Bucknell and Army are well ahead, but there is no reason not to beat Lafayette and Lehigh, and it shouldn't be hard to schedule teams like St Joseph's (a natural opponent given the Jesuit connection), Hartford, Quinnipiac, Sacred Heart, Providence (proximity), and a couple others whio you think you can beat. Get some better players, coach them up, give them playing time, and build some confidence with some wins, and you are on your way.

laxidaysical wrote:I enjoyed all the stats proffered by penikese (who is very obviously an HC alum and former Crusader player), and even managed to locate the source for most. If you can provide the source for the clearing % figures you quoted, I would appreciate it. .

One source is the stat page on each team's website.

Comparing HC's clear pct to Bucknell (and some others) is a little bit apples-and-oranges due to the difference in schedules. A better way to look at it might be to compare the figures in Patriot League games, where the teams play basically the same schedule. HC fares well looking at it this way, with a clear pct of 82.7% - better than Army - although the gap widens between them and a couple top PL teams. (Bucknell is at 86.5%, for example, and Navy is 86.1%.) In fact, if you eliminate HC's first game of the year vs Bryant - where they were an abysmal 13-29 on clears - then HC is over 80% overall.